Brewers boss reflects on another away point
A cliche it may be but Brewers boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink admitted that his side's 1-1 draw with Portsmouth was very much a case of a game of two halves. Pompey grabbed the lead late in the first half through Jed Wallace after Jon McLaughlin had tipped Andy Barcham's shot onto the post but Darragh Lenihan levelled with eight minutes to play after Albion had looked the more composed side after half time."It was a game of two halves - first half I think they were better and second half I think we were better." reflected the Albion manager. "I think it's a fair result at the end."
"I think we created the best chance of the game in the first half with Matty Palmer and normally he buries them very easily. Matty has suffered a bit with an upset stomach and threw up yesterday, but felt all right this morning, so we took a chance on him. That was our best chance and if he scores we go in at 1-1 and it's a whole different game. We battled through in the second half and I think we deserved something out of the game."
Hasselbaink was disappointed with his side's showing in the first half with Portsmouth keen to get back to winning ways in their first home fixture of 2015 and setting about the game in positive fashion.
"Portsmouth played well in the first half. They kept the ball really well when they had it." said Jimmy, "We didn't hurt them enough and our final pass wasn't good enough. When we had the chance and there were too many turnovers, and when there are too many turnovers it's going to be a physical game. That's what Portsmouth wanted. First half they deserved something and second half we deserved something."
With Albion's strikers denied many clear chances by the Portsmouth defence it was left to Darragh Lenihan, with his first senior goal in professional football, to secure the point for Albion, something that delighted the gaffer.
"We know that Darragh has that quality to run the midfield from defence to attack and he did that very well. He took his shot very well. I actually expected us to push on from that moment because there were still 10 minutes left in the game but it was not meant to be. It's not an easy place to come at all and it's a fair result.
"All players are important - it's a squad and a team. Today it was Darragh who popped up and in another game it will be someone else.
"They are all important. We need a strong squad and we need everyone together and we need the substitutes to make a difference as well when we need them."
With twenty games to go in the Sky Bet League 2 season Albion remain in second place, one point behind leaders Wycombe Wanderers and whilst a win at Fratton Park would have sent Albion top of the pile the manager was still pleased with something from their travels, especially when Albion perhaps werent quite at their best.
"I'm pleased with every point, especially if you don't play as well as you can in the first half and are chasing the game.
"It's important we got something out of it.